Men's Ice Hockey

Vokes' Goal Late in the Second Lifts Bears Past AIC, 4-2

PROVIDENCE, RI - Sophomore Matt Vokes (Auburn, MA) scored a highlight reel-worthy goal late in the second period to lift the Brown men's ice hockey team (3-3-2) to a 4-2 victory over American International (0-12-0) on Saturday afternoon at Meehan Auditorium. The win will also go towards the ECAC Hockey League's record in the third-annual Commissioner's Cup series.

Despite getting outshot, 12-4, in the opening period, the Yellow Jackets held onto a 1-0 lead after the first 20 minutes of action. With AIC on a two-on-one break, David Turco skated the puck into the zone and slipped his shot behind Brown sophomore Mark Sibbald (Ridgeway, ONT) and into the back of the net at 8:01.

Brown came out with a sense of urgency in the second period, and outscored AIC, 4-1, accounting for the rest of the contest's goals. Sophomore Sean Muncy (Chesterfield, MO) opened Brown's scoring just 4:20 into the period when he fired a shot from the top of the right face-off circle that beat AIC's Coby Robinson stick-side.

Junior Sean Hurley (Rutland, VT) gave Brown a 2-1 lead 2:43 later, with the Bears on a four-on-three advantage. He collected the puck from junior David Robertson (Saunderstown, RI) in the slot and one-timed it past Robinson.

The lead was short-lived, however, as AIC tied the game at 2-2 with a power-play goal of its own at 14:05.

Brown closed the period with back-to-back goals in a span of 1:30 to put the game away. Vokes scored what would prove to be the game-winner at 18:06, beating his defender before skating in on Robinson and slipping his shot through the five-hole from his knees.

Exactly 1:30 later, at 19:36, freshman Devin Timberlake (Port Alberni, BC) scored his first career goal, a short-handed tally, for the 4-2 lead. Hurley hit Timberlake with a perfectly timed pass, and Timberlake faked to Robinson's left, before stuffing the puck home behind Robinson.

In net for Brown, Sibbald picked up his first career win with 16 saves, including 13 of 14 in the final two periods. The Bears continue action tomorrow afternoon when they host cross-town rival Providence College in the 21st annual Mayor's Cup game. The puck drops at 2:00 p.m.